Summer Yard Care Tips

1. Maintain the Proper Lawn Height

Once the weather warms up, it's important to adjust the blade height on your lawn mower. In the spring and fall, it is okay to trim the lawn to a shorter height because of cool nights and rainy days, but in the summer, especially during the hottest months, I like to set the mower height to 3 inches. Mowing the lawn at a higher height insulates the grass from the summer sun and reduces water loss from the soil. Adjusting the mowing height is easy with the StaySharp™ Max Reel Mower. It is designed with a one-touch heightadjustment whichallows you to adjust the height in one step.

The same rule applies to long grass around a tree trunk or a mailbox post that you can't reach with your mower. The Long Handle Swivel Grass Shears solve that problem. These shears allow you to do the work standing up, so there is no more sore knees or bending over like you do with a small grass shears. The sharp blades will give the grass around your garden and trees a clean and finished look.

2. Keep Weeds at Bay

In the summer months, water and nutrients are vitally important to lawns and gardens. If weeds are present they will take theseessentialelements away fromyour plants. Weeding is usually a task that people dread, but it is very important. TheUpRoot® Weed and Root Remover makes this activity more enjoyable.

Instead of spending the day on your knees fighting to get rid of dandelions or using expensive and harmful chemicals, you can stand on your feet and get rid of the weeds and the root. This weeder has four serrated stainless steel claws that grab the root and remove the entire weed. It willactually make weeding the lawn and garden a fun activity!

3. Trim Back Spring Growth

If you turn your back for too long, Mother Nature will take over your yard. The spring growing season can quickly turn your yard from well manicured to overgrown. The summer is the time to trim and shape your plants to keep them looking well manicured and organized.

Foundation plantings and hedges are where I start to reclaim my yard. I use myPowerGear2™ Hedge Shears for many reasons. The low friction coating helps the blades slice through branches without gumming up, and the blade cuts well from the joint to the tip. The PowerGear® technology cuts with 3 times more power on every cut. Before you hang up your shears, don't forget to wipe the blades clean, so they are ready to go the next time.

These are three simple things you can do to keep your lawn looking neat and fresh all summer long. Yard work doesn't have to be a chore. With Fiskars tools, you will get your work done faster and easier so you can get back to the summer fun!